Many of these interactions with the game’s NPCs will likely result in finding new missions and quests, such as a late night trip to a nearby saloon, where one character wanted me to go out on a mission and take photographs with an early 1900s-era flash camera. Other interactions can get hostile, such as another instance where I tried to rob an incoming traveler on horseback, only to see him still watching me — warily, gun drawn — as I rode on past him. And yet, some of these interactions can be completely unexpected, or even downright hilarious. In what was easily the funniest moment of our demo, I had Arthur greet a fellow traveler, only to see his horse get startled, kick the man in the head, and end up leaving him dead on the road; this left an audible gasp from myself and the Rockstar reps with us during the demo, only to bust out laughing after.
In a preview with Rockstar Games in New York City, we were able to see about two hours of Red Dead Redemption 2 . With the demo split between seeing some of the game’s early story-driven moments, and then getting to interact and play the game for ourselves, this not only gave us a sense of the overall scope of Red Dead Redemption 2 , but also provided a hands-on feel for its deeper mechanics, gameplay systems, combat, and the environment. In short: it’s a game of a scope that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen before from an Open world games Cheats-world game, even coming from the studio that (arguably) set the genre’s foundations with Grand Theft Auto III way back in 2001.
Every action and decision that the player makes as Arthur ends up affecting the way that other characters perceive him out in the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 . From violently shooting up local sheriffs or robbing civilians, to giving assistance to a woman out on the road after her horse has died, the Honor system not only serves as a way to indicate the path that Arthur is taking morally — whether he’s a ruthless outlaw or a more compassionate cowboy — but also has more tangible effects on the game’s world on a larger level.
Don’t be deceived by the number at the end of the title, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a direct prequel to its predecessor. The story takes place years before our last adventure as we follow Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang. If you recognize the latter name, it was the group of outlaws that John Marston rode with back in the day. As you can expect, you’ll see our loveable Marston often, who is perfectly implemented into the story. It’s not too much fan service or focus, but just enough so he’s a solid supporting role, especially in the later half of the campaign. He has his own arc, but it’s all about Arthur and his issues. The first couple of chapters in the story, Arthur is an unlikable individual. It takes him a little while to find his footing as he’s an overly serious character who never breaks a smile and plays the rough cowboy to a T. His relationship with the group, including the gang’s leader, Dutch van der Linde, is what stands out among everything else. It’s the little things around the camp; the songs, the gestures and the interactions that expand our protagonist’s likability, and you begin to better understand him. Even the most insignificant faces seem to bring out the more positive aspects out of Arthur more than the main story ever does, and it’s sad that it’s something players can completely overlook, especially considering entering the camp setting forces the player to move at a snail’s pace.
Getting back on topic, the problem with the controls is that they can be overly finicky. For example, mounting your horse and strangling a nearby pedestrian are assigned to the same button for whatever reason. Same goes with interacting with an item on the ground and say vaulting over a railing to your death. Throwing dynamite while in cover can also be hazardous as more than often it found itself on the cover in front of us. In addition, dealing with a horse is the biggest pain in the ass than anything else in video games and Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception. The difference between this and Grand Theft Auto is that your vehicle won’t run away when it hears gunfire, ensuring you fail a mission when you need him. The physics can be a little wonky, too, as we had multiple instances where the horse could easily make a small dip or go over a rock, but instead decided to trip over its own feet, dying in the process once in a while. We even had an instance where it ran into another rider while in the cinematic camera angle (which allows you to put the controller down as the horse gallops to a set destination), something the recipient of the crash was not too happy about. Finally, I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to assign the run button (tapping X) to the horse, but there has to be a better way. As you can see, I’m not a big fan of horses in video games, as it consistently feels like you’re fighting with them, which doesn’t help with the already finicky controls.